How to Do Wet Basement Waterproofing in Hinsdale, IL 60521

Hinsdale IL is one of the smaller western suburbs of Chicago but known for its upscale lifestyle, excellent schools and beautiful homes, nearly a third of which were built on the sites of tear-downs.

A predecessor to Hinsdale, Brush Hill was founded just north of the present village location in 1833 and later became known as Fullersburg after Benjamin Fuller, the man who laid out the original town. During the middle part of the 19th century, civic leaders in various towns in the area petitioned the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad to build a line from Chicago to Aurora that would pass through and energize the development of their towns. Unfortunately for Fuller’s legacy, the railroad passed through what is now Hinsdale instead and Fullersburg was later annexed.

Hinsdale was incorporated in 1872.

Modern Hinsdale, teardowns aside, still has quite a number of older homes, with 20% of the current total of nearly 6300 having been built before 1940 and considerably more than half before 1970. Owners of these homes are facing the normal repair and maintenance problems that come with older homes and many of them are in need of help with wet basement waterproofing.

How to Do Wet Basement Waterproofing in Hinsdale

Just like in nearby Downers Grove and LaGrange, homes in Hinsdale that need wet basement waterproofing are diagnosed and repaired on a case-by-case basis but there are several commonly used repair practices that solve most basement seepage problems.

Crack Repair – Because poured concrete foundations are monolithic, they are subject to stress and movement that result in non-structural cracks that permit seepage. The best way to permanently repair these cracks is to inject them with expanding polyurethane from the interior of the basement. The polyurethane fills and seals the cracks completely and remains flexible when cured to prevent minor foundation movement from causing the crack to re-open in the future.

If the basement is finished or the crack is otherwise inaccessible, it can be repaired from the outside by digging a small hole at the site of the crack and filling it with sodium bentonite clay. The sodium bentonite remains pliable and forms an effective “positive side” barrier against water.

Interior Drain Tile – All types of foundations are subject to the hydrostatic pressure caused by ground water under the basement floor; it causes the basement to leak through the cove joint and cracks in the floor. The best permanent repair is to install interior drain tile, perforated pipe in a bed of washed gravel under the basement floor. The drain tile draws off ground water, relieving the pressure, and moves it to a sump pump for disposal. Properly installed, interior drain tile never requires maintenance.

Exterior Waterproofing – Concrete foundations can take on water through porous patches and over the top of the foundation wall; masonry foundations, such as brick and stone, can leak through deteriorated mortar joints or porous masonry units. The best solution to these problems is to apply an exterior waterproofing membrane, asphalt-modified polyurethane, to the foundation walls. Troweled on in a thick coat, the membrane creates a permanent barrier against water intrusion.

When large amounts of water are present, the membrane can be augmented by installing exterior drain tile and heavy-duty drainage board to channel water downward.

Regardless of the chosen method of repair, a Hinsdale homeowner who needs wet basement waterproofing will require the services of a qualified basement waterproofing contractor that knows Hinsdale and its homes. At U.S. Waterproofing, we’ve been keeping basements dry all over Chicagoland and have satisfied numerous customers in Hinsdale with our wet basement waterproofing work. Why not ask for our free advice?